Rose and Me
by RiverBeautyPond
Summary: Morden Beauty and The Beast. I knew Rose my whole life; she was my best friend, then one day she had to go. Now she's back..
1. Chapter 1

I knew Rose my whole life; she was my best friend, her mother (my nanny) would joke that we may as well have been twins. We would spend all our time together her older brother Mark would join us but more often than not we would be allowed to roam free in the grounds of my home. We would play in far off imagery worlds. I would be a knight, a space cowboy or all-mighty wizard; she would be my princess, my showgirl or my witch counterpart. In the winter mouths when her mother forbade us from going out in the cruel cold for too long, we would sit in a warm room; Rose would write our summer adventures into her growing books of tales, while I would draw pictures to add very little to the tales she told, my pictures would be added in clumsy to her magic book. But like everyone else my childhood bliss had to end and my came much more abruptly than the average.

As you can most likely tell by now my family was very well off. We lived in a mansion of a home with particularly an army of servants. My father was a self-made man, he had started his first business at the age of ten after his father had left the family home. Slowly and surly he climbed the ladder, he made his fair share of enemies along his way. He was often portrayed as a cold man, but that was a lie he had a very loving heart when it came to my mother. My mother was a socialite, she was described by anyone I ever met as the most beautiful women they met, they said her blonde hair literally glowed like the sun and her eyes were as deep blue as the see, you know your standard description in these cases. My mother and father did not get married to until they were both almost forty, the reasoning behind it was my father did not want to seem to much like he was marrying into money, so he waited until he had more than enough ( forty million more) to provide her with the life she was used to. I am told their marriage was a happy one and that they longed for a child, that they used all the means and technology to give them a child.

And it worked after four years of trying , I was born and for one precious moment their life was complete. It then became clear that my mother was losing a lot of blood, and even with the very best doctors at their disposal, my mother died roughly 5 minutes and 22 seconds after I was born.

My father at that moment became cold, he had lost the only women he ever loved and yet he gained the son he always longed for. My father heard of a old family friend whose husband had died recently and had just given birth and already having a child was in desperate need of work. My father contacted her with the offer to become my nanny, the offer was that she and her two children would come and live at the house and she would raise me to his orders , in return she would receive a nominal fee, and on the termination of her contract she would receive a significant amount of money which she would never have to work again, naturally she accepted.

My father as I had already mentioned had become cold after my mother's death and while I cannot say he did not show me any affection , but he did show me very little. And that was just when he was there more often than not he was away on business, he was by now a incredibly wealthy man and though he had not remembered he had hurt a great many people along the way. One of these was a man by the name of David Davidson, he had be a small shop owner in a small village in Scotland, selling little tourist items, my father had built a factory nearby and though it had brought many jobs to the area it meant the end for David's business. Rather than risk his wife and children losing their home, he chose to take his life meaning they would not lose their home. He wife, Karen was overcome with grief, she looked for someone to blame and her mind brought it instantly to my father. What no one knew not David, not her children and certainly not my father was that Karen was part of a powerful witching family, though she chosen to turn her back away from magic the grief from her loss brought her back round.

She hatched her plan and made her way to our home on one of their winter nights when my father was not only home but was with me. He had asked for me to come a spend the evening looking over books of the business, I was only twelve at the time and though the looking over the books was very boring, I was more than happy to do it for it meant spending a few hours with my father. On that fateful night my father and I were looking over the spending of some factory or something, when this women appeared dressed in black with her eyes full of hate and sadness. My father jumped to try and get the security, but a force pulled him back.

"No we can't have them, coming and ruing it now can we. "She hissed. "You sir, ruined everything, your factory made my husband take my life and now I want something in return." Her eyes turned to me a scared twelve year old frozen in his spot. "You are a beast, and do you know what the apple never falls far from the tree. You know what that means your son is a Beast too."

And at that moment she raised her hand and flash of light came out a struck me, my body felt like it was on fire I heard my bones break, my skin itched as hair grew. She was changing me into a Beast. I blacked out. And that was the moment that my childhood ended.

The next thing I knew it was the morning I was still in my father's study he was sitting at his desk with stubble on his face suggesting he hadn't moved all night. I felt strange my head hurt, my whole body hurt. My father explained to me what had happened as if I could not remember. I looked down a my hands they weren't mine they were the hands of a monster; huge and covered in a dark brown fur. I let myself cry, though they sounded more like the roars of the beast I am. My father did not reach his arms to comfort me. He sat calmly outlining his plan for me. He had already fired all the staff bar Mrs Jacobs, the house keeper (a kind plump women in her mind fifties) and Peter (a young man in his mid-twenties who walked with the aid of a cane due to child hood accident), my tutor. They would both continue in their roles, though now Mrs Jacobs would also have to cook an prepare my meals. He explained that they had both already seen me and heard an explication of what happened. I was to stay in the grounds of the house at all times, and anything I wished for would be provided through him. I was to stay in his study until all everyone else had left. Till the he suggested I try walking around, because I had to get used to this body. So for several hours I did this unit Mrs Jacobs came in with a tray of sandwiches saying they were all gone but Rose and her family and that was because the girl was refusing to leave. She came in shortly saying it was safe, my father told me to go to my room, which I did.

When I got to my room I looked round I wanted to destroy, and I knew I could in my new body, which made me all the angrier but I didn't, instead I lay on my bed. I felt something underneath my pillow it was the story book me and Rose made. On the inside of the front cover was a short message of goodbye, that's why she refused to leave she wanted to say goodbye. And that's when it struck I would never see Rose again, it was like half of me had been stripped away. And there was nothing much left, Rose had always been the best of me.

After that for a while life just moved on I attended lessons with Peter ate meals prepared by Mrs Jacobs, but nothing much else. It was about a year after the cruse was laid upon me that the witch returned, she said she felt sorry for what she had done, she had been grief stricken when done it and on further examination she had realised it wasn't fair to punish me for my father's doing and even then she had discover her husband deaths had been the result of an affair he'd been having. She said she could not lift the spell but she could give me a loop hole, if I were to fall in love and they were to fall in love with me back then I would be returned to my natural form, a time limit had to be set for ten years later, she gave me a calendar to mark the days. And I began to hope again.

As time passed I came to the idea that even with this chance, it was never going to happen, but that no matter what I still had a life to lead. So I moved on I started drawing again, and read an awful lot, I was more than aware that beside Mrs Jacobs and Peter I was less than likely to see another person ever again (my father had gave up on visiting me in the first year, and now with the internet he barely had to email me). I wasn't happy, but I was living and at least I could say that. But I still dreamed of the girl with a name the same as a flower and was just as beautiful as one.

And one day she came back.

**AN/ Hi this just stort of happened and I liked it. Can I please have some feedback. If you questions I will answer best I can.**


	2. Chapter 2

_20__th__ October 2012 days left 536._

I had that dream again last night.

I am lying in my bed asleep when the light from the window wakes me gently. I feel weird my body feels smaller my, I feel colder. Then something moves against me, something warm and soft, my eyes shoot open and I look down I see a woman's body pressed up against me, her hair is a mass of brown curls and her face is pressed up against my bare chest. My bare chest, no fur, and just human skin my hands are human to. This seems too good to be true I'm human and I must assume that this woman who is here with must love me and I must love her. The heads starts to move, to look up at my mine, but before I cans see her face; the dream ends.

It's my birthday today, I am 22 years old today, and it feels much longer. I had been drawing last night until it was quite late and didn't wake up until about 10 o'clock. I get out of my bed, and shake myself down, I discovered that having as show every day is rather impossible, I end up looking and smelling like a wet dog for hours, brushing the hair presents much similar problems, so I do that once a week, boring I know but hay that's what my life's like. I get dressed, jeans and a t-shirt, brought from some off brand store for "uniquely sized people", yeah I should mention I about 8 foot tall now and proportionally as wide.

I walk over to the window, for some reason and open the curtains; my room is at the front of the house. I can see Peter's car is here, he moved out about 4 years ago after he got married, he's still employed as my tutor so he comes round most days for "lessons" though he's longing for something more I can tell, but I think he stays out of loyalty. He had a child about a year ago, a little girl called Laura, he brought her round a couple of times but, I asked him to stop it because I'm uneasy around anything which can bring on a stressful situation. Any way I could see just beyond the top of the garden to the drive beyond the wall (built ten years ago to keep people out) I think I can see a car or a van it's quite big and bright orange. I just shake my head at it and walk down stairs.

They're both where I expect to find them in the kitchen, it seems, that my time is spent between one of three rooms; mine bedroom, the library or the kitchen. The kitchen is pretty far out from the rest of the rooms; technically it was part of the servant's quarters when the house was in full use but like that matters now. So they're both sitting at the main table both cup of tea in their hands and a plate of Mrs Jacobs homemade biscuits in the middle of them.

"Alex your up, happy birthday" Says Peter cheerily, as I walk in to the kitchen.

"Cup of tea, Alex darling" asks Mrs Jacobs in her soft motherly way.

"Just a coffee for me" I say as I walk over to kettle getting out my mug and the coffee. When the coffee is done, I go to the table and join them, Mrs Jacobs pushes the plate of biscuits towards me, double chocolate chip cookies my favourite. I place a smile on my face and start snacking on them.

"So what's the plan for the day" asks Peter

"The usual, talk with you till lunchtime, have lunch, go for a walk around the grounds, go library and read for a bit, have dinner, then go to my room and draw. The usual." I say very honestly because we know that it's the truth as it is, every day is the same, for all of us and we all wish it would change. And the day starts exactly as I said it would, then we sit and talk in kitchen till Mrs Jacobs gets and makes some sandwiches , we sit talk a little more until I'm about to get then I remember the thing I saw this morning.

"Peter, you didn't see a car near the wall this morning did you?"

"No, why?"

"I just thought I saw something this morning, it's nothing. Anyway I'm going for a walk." I say getting up and exiting though the back door.

I take a walk every day; I just need to get out of the house to feel the breeze and fresh air. I think has something to with the fact I'm more animal than human now. There's a chill in the air today, I may need to start wearing longer shirts. Today I walk round to the front of the house, the car is still in my mind I'm walking by the trees at the wall (another addition from my father to keep the world out). I can smell the stench of the dying leaves in the air; all of my senses were heightened in the transformation, between that strength and the lack of feeling the cold there are some perks of being a beast.

As I start to come up on the gate to the grounds, I stop there is a van a bright orange camper van, it must have parked up after Peter got here this morning. I'm about to try and walk past, when I see her. She walking up and down the gate, like she was trying to figure a way to get in, I knew the lock was coded with a code which means nothing at all. She shouldn't be able to get in short of climbing the gate, which much to my surprise she starts to do the gate, it's 20 foot high she shouldn't be able to climb and get down without falling and hurting herself. And if she does I don't know what I'd be able to do to help her.

She gets to the top of the gate, without much difficultly, but as she starts to come down one of the heels on her boots missis a step. She doesn't regain her balance quickly enough and she's start to fall to the ground, my senses start to kick and rush to catch before she falls. I'm able to catch before she hits the ground, for one second my heart stops beating, she's seen me I'm mean I'm holding her eyes are wide open she can see me. Then her eyes begin to roll back into her head and her body goes limp. She's fainted I don't know what to do; I mean I don't even know who she is. Well that's a lie I know exactly who it is I'm just not letting myself to believe that it is her. But her face, an older slimmer version of it, her hair is still a crazy mass of chocolate curls, it is Rose it has to be her who else who could it be. I carry her up to the house and into the kitchen, Peter and Mrs Jacobs both stand up and rush over.

"What, where, how, who?" Peter says struggling with this idea. While Mrs Jacobs comes over to check her.

"Is that really her?" asks Mrs Jacobs clearly recognizing her too.

"I'm not sure, but I think it. I mean look at her." I answer as Mrs Jacobs dives into her pockets and find a purse, a phone and a half eaten packet of mints. She opens up the purse and finds a driving licence which confirms what we are thinking. It's Rose, beautiful Rose. Mrs Jacobs's hands the licence to Peter his face goes white.

"What do we do?" I say scared.

"We need to lie on the bed, follow me." Mrs Jacobs answers and starts walking off in one direction, I follow her she takes me to one of the old servant's rooms, her mother's room to precise. I lay her on the bed fully clothed. I didn't realize before but her body has shaped into a women's, no I mustn't think like that, but Rose is beautiful there's nothing that can change that. I stand their looking at her for a moment till Mrs Jacobs shoos me out.

Peter is standing outside the door, "Come with me, I think I know what you need." I follow him as he walks up into the main part of the house when he comes to a stop; it's a room I haven't been in for years, my father's study.

"No, I can't go in their Pete,"

"Look, considering what's happened I think you can." He opens the door and leads me, this room still holds far to memories for me but I go in. Peter goes into the room and over to the desk, where he finds a bottle of some alcohol. Pours out two glasses and hands one to me then sits down on one of the chairs and I join him.

"So Rose then," he says

"Look it's just a shock to see her again, it's been so long and so much has changed." I say looking down at my glass.

"Yeah, but the way you two were when you were children. Every one that you two were going to get married, heck even you father thought so."

"Well we know that's not going to happen. You saw her; she's most likely got a boyfriend or something." I put the drink down and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"To the library, look Rose will wake up soon Mrs Jacobs will see if she's find, most likely feed her and send her on her way. What's the point in doing anything different?" I say leaving the room.

I walk down the corridor to the library where I begin looking for a book, what book I'm unsure, I just need to be on my own for a while to just, and I don't. In the last ten years I've read a lot but I'm still to even make a mark on the number of books that this library holds. I start to walk over to the book shelves nearest window, these shelves contain books that I have brought over the last few years. I don't know why, I not even going to read to day. Then I hear the door open.

I shoot around and face the door. It's Rose she stands, there staring straight at me, her face is not one of fear, but perhaps nerves. Oh I don't I frozen by her stare.

"..Alex?" She says unsure as she walks up toward me, in her violet eyes, I do see fear, but this the same women who less than an hour ago climbed a twenty foot fence. I turn my face away from her slightly. But she still comes up to me and touches my arm and I can't look at her. "Alex, I know it's you, come on I know you."

"I've changed." I say to the widow.

"No one changes that much, your eyes are still the same, that's how I knew it was you." She says which causes my head to turn to look at her. She had a sad smile on her. "Hello, Alex."

"Hi"

"God, this is hard isn't, you'd think that this would be easier, we used to be so close." She says, I give a small laugh and she does to.

"Rose, look I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, my father." I try and explain.

"Alex, when I saw you, I worked it out."

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you when it happened. My father wouldn't let me leave the room till everyone had left."

"its okay, Alex can I ask you something."

"What?"

"Can I stay here with you?"

"…what?"

"Look I can't find a job, let alone a flat and I don't want to be a burden on my family, look I know this sound stupid I just need time to get my head straight and find a job."

"What kind of job are you looking for?"

"Oh, I want to be a writer, but I'll take anything even connected with writing now."

"You were always a good storyteller. You can stay, go talk to Mrs Jacobs, she'll find you a room."

"Thanks I'll get my stuff from my van." She squeezes my arm then walks to the door to leave before turning at the last minute. "Oh and Alex, happy Birthday" and then she's gone.

What have I let myself in for?

**AN/ Am I moving too fast? I just want to get to the middle of the stories as that's where I seem to run out of ideas.**

**Anyway I realised that I didn't name him last time so his name is Alex, which is short for Alexander, yeah I'm crap at name people. **

**Oh yeah I'm British, so I guess it's set here.**

**Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

_20__th__ October 2012 Days left 536_

Part of me thinks I've made the worse mistake of my life while another thinks I've made my best decision ever. But I don't know seeing Rose again, does do something to me give some sense of something which I haven't felt in so long. Thoughts like these go through my head as I wait for something else to happen. Peter comes in to speak to me about ten minutes after I agreed to allow Rose to stay here.

"Are sure this is the best thing to do?"

"Frankly, I don't know. I mean Rose, will never tell or do anything to harm me. But having someone else in the house that is not used to the way I act makes it's a terrible idea."

"So what you going to do?"

"I don't know try and be on my best behaviour for dinner" I say with a smile a Peter laughs.

"Peter, you want to be doing something else don't you?"  
"What do you mean?"

"I don't think you want to come up every day and "teach" me. I mean I think it'll be more rewarding for you to work in a school."

"Yes and No. Yes, it does seem a bit of a waste to come up and teach you every day, but no because it allows me to bring in a very good wage and be able to spend time with my family."

"Speaking of which aren't you normally home, by now? Won't the Misses be wondering where you are?" He checks his watch and stands up.

"It's been one of those days hasn't. Look I'll be around on Monday, the in-laws are around tomorrow. But call me if you need me."

"See you on Monday."  
I then decide to male my way down to the kitchen, where I find as expected Mrs Jacobs and Rose, cooking.

"What we having?" I say looking over.

"Pork roast, your favourite," Say Mrs Jacobs.

"Well it is my birthday." I say trying to act confidently. "Do you want me to set the table?"

"Yes, please Alex honey." Says Mrs Jacobs So I set the table, making sure that I get three of anything.

"What is every one having to drink?"

"I have a red wine." Answers Mrs Jacobs

"I have a red too" Says Rose, I shake my head and it takes me a second for me to think she's as old as me.

"Well that's three red wines the, have we got any more bottles."

"Should be some in the pantry." Answers Mrs Jacobs. I get out the wine and the table is set and they both start bring the food over to the table, the meal is served.

The conservation doesn't flow at first; it's all very conserved and short. But once we allow the wine to start to flow and allow the edge to be taken off. Rose, is questioned most of all because she is new, we learn about her family. We learnt that her Mother remarried eight years ago, and she has a younger adopted sister, that my father had provide enough money to allow her family to be comfortable, but her mother started working at a nursery. Her brother qualified as a doctor a year ago and is currently working abroad. She herself had just finished an English degree, but due to the state of the economy she just couldn't find a job.

Eventually it got quite late and Mrs Jacobs got quite tired and went to bed leaving us to alone. We manage to carry on the polite conversation for a little while but well it just wasn't going to last.

"So…." Rose said as I poured out the last of the wine.

"So, what?" I asked.

"Why didn't try and write or contact me before."

"Well, I didn't know where you were, when you first moved and then I guess I could of with face-book and that, but I guess I was just scared."

"Well yeah, I kind of guessed. But you would a hard problem finding me on face-book since, I don't have it." She said sipping her wine and placing her feet on the table. I gave her a small laugh.

"I did miss you. " I said.

"I missed you too; I mean it was really odd. One day I was spending all my time with best friend and then the next, I was being told to leave my home and never come back."

"He didn't say ever come back did he?" I say shaking my head about my father.

"Not in so many words, but that was the general tone of what he said."

"Well if it makes any difference, he left shortly afterward."

"You're kidding me, he doesn't visit or anything." I shake my head. "Well that's a bit harsh" she says.

"Honestly I think it's better, him not coming, he just feels guilty about it."

"Why?"

"He may think it's his fault, but really it isn't."

"Explain"

"Well, you see my father built this factory built this factory in this Scottish town. It brought a lot of jobs to the area, but destroyed the tourist trade, the owner of the local gift shop, killed himself after what his wife thought was fear of losing his home. His wife was a witch blamed my father, came here and placed the cruse on me."

"That's awful"

"Oh, but it's not over yet about a year later she came back and apologized for putting the cruse on me and that she felt terrible especially after she discovered her husband killed himself due to the amount of affairs he was having."

"And you haven't told your father this."

"Yes, but he barely emails me now, and I feel this is more face to face talk."

"What about Skype, or you asking him to come here."  
"No I couldn't do that don't ask me why, it's hard. You know what mean."

"Okay. You know were only twenty-two, and what are we acting like, we should be having fun somewhere at a club."

"Kind of hard when you're me. Plus I highly doubt it would be my sort of scene."

"Trust me, if your anything like me, it's not your scene. "I laugh in answer to that.

"So Rose, what's your idea of a good night."

"A really great TV show or Film or a really crappy one. Either way with some wine."

"Well, that sounds good to me."

"You never answered my point on acting your age."

"It's a simple answer really, I don't feel twenty-two, and I feel much older than I am. I don't know it just doesn't seem to me like I this age."

"You can't do that you know."

"Do what?"

"Act like you're so wise because something happened to you."

"Why?"

"Because it just doesn't work like that, just because you grew up like that doesn't not make you any less naive than me. In many ways it makes you more naive. "I can see her point and in she is correct, I've never had a job, did go to university or even kissed a girl.

"Your right it doesn't give me the right. I just find it hard not to be serious." She grabs my arm and gives me a smile.  
"I get it. You know I recognized straight away today. When you caught me I looked into your face and your eyes haven't changed at all there still so…"

"Human." I say with a snort.

"Yes, but they were the eyes I remembered. But I got scared and fake fainted."

"Of course, you got scared, I mean look at me." She then gently touched my arm

"It wasn't that is was the idea of just talking to after so long, I had no idea how to start the conversation or anything. I must admit I expected to talk to Mrs Jacobs or Peter first, but you were right there I got scared."

"Why did you come here? I mean I know you need a place to stay but why here?"

She sighed the answered. "I always felt safe her, and I got into a little trouble when I was living with my Mum."

"What sort of trouble?"

"There was this guy, a friend set up us on a date and I went out with him a couple of times, but I made it very clear that I didn't want to see him but he just wouldn't leave me alone he kept calling me emailing me. That's why I don't have a face-book page, he just couldn't leave alone. The other night he came to my mother's house with a knife and the police came but they but he's one of them so he just got a warning. He left but I couldn't stay there anymore. I just packed my bags and got in my van and started driving and just ended up here. Like I said I've always felt safe her."

"Rose that's horrible. Are you sure going to be alright?"

"I think so but, I'm just worried for my family if he'd try and do anything to them. "

"Rose, your family is welcome here; I mean I'll stay out the way so not to scare Ellie."

"They will probably be fine, my step dad used to be in the army." As she tries to shake it off.

"Rose, you can stay here for as you need." I get up, "Look it's late. I'm going to bed. Goodnight Rose."

"Night Alex."

And we both head off in our different directions to sleep, but I don't sleep. I kept awake by the very thought of Rose, her beauty, her melody of a voice, her own sadness. That story she told me of that man who would do that, the way her face fell as she told the story, the way the dim light fell off her hair. But then the way her eyes shined when she talked about her family, I get out of bed for saking on sleep and go over to my drawing table. And I just start to draw, her hair with the interlocking rings and curls, her soft features. I can't stop myself, I always felt that Rose was beautiful, even as a child but now she's something so much more No I can't think like this, I can't let myself ever think about falling for her.

I just don't know anymore.

**AN/ Rose and Alex, am I moving too fast? I mean they are essentially childhood sweethearts. **

**I try and plan the story on a whole but not chapters; I just kind of let that flow. But I was toying around with having a villain and I still haven't quite decided so I added a potential villain for if I do chose to go down this path. **

**Please Review.**


	4. Chapter 4

_20th November 2012 Days left 505_

Rose has been here for a month now, and I've felt the best I have in a long time. We're still very nervous around one another, but I guess that was to be expected. Rose has brought something to the house that has been lacking for so long. But I still don't know sometimes with here.

I hear a knock on my bedroom door, I'm still in bed; no one knocks for me in the morning in years, not since I made it clear I did not like. But I still get up and walk over to the door and open it, Rose stands there dressed in a pair of jeans and a red shirt which hugs her curves, her brown hair is tied back into tied back into a messy plait.

"Look I know you like to get up late but this ridiculous?" She says as I rub my eyes.

"What time is it?" I say, rubbing my eyes.

"Two O'clock."

"Yeah, I'll just go get dressed." And I turn around to get dressed. When I come out Rose is still there, smiling as I came out. I can't tell how tell how tall she is I think she's tall, she's taller than Mrs Jacobs and only slightly shorter than Peter, but being this tall I simply can't tell.

"Is it too late for Lunch?" I ask as I realise that I am very hungry.

"That's why I came to get you, Mrs Jacobs if you were much longer you'll miss lunch."

"Well thank you for getting me then." We walk in silence the rest of the way when we come down into the kitchen both Peter and Mrs Jacobs are sitting down eating a range of sandwiches and crisps. We both join them and jokes are made at my lateness. I smile play along. When the meal is over I get up to go for my walk, Rose asks to join, I say yes and wait a minute while she gets a jacket, and I grab the jacket I keep in the in kitchen. Rose comes down with the same brown jacket she was wearing the day we met again.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Yes." We leave though the back entrance and walk up though the gardens at the back, neither of us say nothing. Until we get to the Rose garden.

"You know I always thought this was the most beautiful garden, all the roses in bloom, it was wonderful" Rose says absently mildly.

"But know it's winter and the roses are gone."

"They will come back." But I see a troubled look on her face she wants to talk to me about something I'm unsure of. I reach out a place one of my, furry hands on Rose's am.

"Rose, there's a reason you wanted to come out today isn't the?"

"I talked to my Mum last night. She's says he keep coming round every-day sometimes with weapons." She shakes her head. "The police do nothing; he's not even been placed on suspension. I think it's too dangerous to go home for while still, god I don't even think it'll be safe till next year." I guide her towards a bench.

"Did you tell your mother where you were?"

"No, she said not to she said not too." Rose is crying now, I wrap my arm around her and to my surprise she doesn't shudder of move away, in fact she leans in to my arm.

"Rose, as long as you are here, I will protect you. I always will." I say as she cries into me. After a while Rose stops crying and I move my arm away from her, she wipes her tears away. And after a few minutes, she speaks again.  
"Thank you Alex, god I must look a mess." She says trying to laugh it off, it's her defence the way to hide her volubility always to be laughing even when something hurts, it doesn't work. Rose turns around to me again a sad smile on her face. "Alex, you were always the greatest." Then she stands up and starts to walk away. I get up after a second and follow her; I catch up with Rose in a few seconds. And we walk in silence for rest of the walk, I see Rose turn to look at me a couple of times but she doesn't start a conversation.

Rose is so familiar to me and so mysterious; I can never tell what she thinks. Once we get into the house Rose walks up into the room, I look around and see if Peter has gone left yet I catch him while he is about to leave.

"Peter, can we have a chat." I ask knowing he is about to go.

"Alex you are really acting odd at the moment." He leans on his cane, "I think I can guess what this about."

"Did Rose tell you two why she came here?"

"Yes, she told me what happened." He then looks me for a moment. "What do you want to do about it?"

"It's not that really, I mean I think I'd kill that guy in an instance if I ever met." I sighed looking down at my hands releasing what damage my hands could really do. My anger can be a dangerous thing, the amount of things these hands have destroyed; they could easily take a human life. Peter places his hand on my arm.

"Alex, I'm sure every man who ever met Rose would do that, not just you. I know I would."

"It's not just that, it's Rose generally. I mean, being her is driving me crazy, but not in a bad way."

Peter just shakes his head and smiles. "I was exactly the same with Emily."

"Expect unlike you two it will never happen between me and Rose. I mean look at me, not like this. Maybe when we were kids but not now, not like this."

"Have hope, Rose knows the real you, she's smart enough to see past it all."

"See you tomorrow, Peter.

"See you tomorrow" He says giggling as he walks to his car.

I walk back into the house and go up to my room, I look down at my drawing table, just proof that Rose has entranced me. I carefully pile them and put them away in one the doors at the bottom of my desk. I go and lie down on my bed for a while, it's been a month and me and Rose have already fallen into a routine. We had dined together, read together. I had learned so much about her like how she always carries around a packet of mints because she likes her breath to feel minty or how she will mess with her watch strap when she's nervous. I walked to one of my shelves and pull out the book which me and Rose had created when we were children and I read through it for a period of time. When for the second time of the day there was a knock on my door. And Rose stood there again, her hair was lose and damp like she had just been in the shower.

"Let me guess, dinner." I ventured

"You'd think?" As I closed my door and leave with her. Dinner was a cheesy pasta bake; we eat it with the usual amount of conversation talking for a while after the meal is over.

"Oh, my just look at the amount I've got to clean up." Mrs Jacobs says looking around at the eaten meal.

"You go relax me and Alex will do it." Rose said.

"We will?"

"Yes we will." Giving me that you're not leaving me to do it on my own looks. I've already got up and started stacking plates.

"I'm washing!" Shouts Rose as she rushes to the sink. I roll my eyes at Mrs Jacobs and go and take the rest of the dishes over and then start drying.

"You know that you can be such a child." I say to Rose.

"You've always got to remain a little bit childish, and beside were only twenty –two"

"Not that again." I say again turning around to put away a glass when I feel something wet hit the back of my head. I turn around and see Rose there, looking like she trying not to laugh but failing dramatically. "Come on."

"Say I win this one" As she raises another wet sponge at me.

"Okay, you win the fight of being childish." I say shaking my head at her.

"Well, I think you have to be a bit childish when you want to write children's books." She says going red realising that she had not told me this before.

"So that's what you want to do, you I may have something to help you." I say remembering the book in my room. "I'll show you after were done here."

"Okay" Says Rose feeling a little unsure of what I've said. We finish the washing in silence, she then follows me up to my room, where she's unsure whether to go into my room or not. I make it sure that she comes in. She looks around in the dark room and sees my drawing table.

"Do you still draw?"

"Yeah sometimes, well a lot to tell the truth, I'm not very good." I say trying to remember where I put the book.

"Well that's a lie, you were great when we were kids. Is there any of your stuff I can see?"

"There's normally some on the table or in the draws." Then I hear Rose rooting around and remember my current muse.

"Wait I'll find you one." I say striding over to the desk, but it's too late she's already found them.

"Are these all of me?" She says in a tone I cannot tell.

"Yes, but I can explain."

"Okay"

"You're first person I've seen in years and your beautiful, I just couldn't help myself."  
"Firstly I'm not that beautiful and secondly these are really good, like art gallery good." If I wasn't fury, I would be so red. Then I saw the book on the table.

"Oh here it is. Do you remember this?" I say holding up the book.

"You've got to be kidding, is that our storybook." I hand it to her; she's flicks through it for a second. "I can't believe you remembered it, let alone kept it."

"You were the one who left it underneath my pillow."

"Oh, yeah Alex…" She shakes her head then looks straight at me. "You amaze the more time I spend with; you're not like other men."

"Well I'm not strictly a man." I say looking into the violet depths of her eyes.

"No, you're more than a man." She strokes my arm again. "Your my best friend." She then walks out the room stopping again at the door. "Goodnight, Alex"

"Goodnight Rose."

I watch the door close. What am I doing, I can't let myself get my hopes up, I just can't. She's everything I would ever want but, I'm nothing she wants, I'm only her best friend. I can't let myself do it. I think I am falling in love with Rose…

**AN/ yeah I'm moving too fast, but frankly I'd rather move at this pace and finish it. My goal in number of chapters' is about ten including an epilogue so that's four to five more chapters. And I've already roughly planed the last three chapters. **


End file.
